Participants
- Between 5 and 8 people is a good number to aim for when you're conducting a quick set of usability sessions
- Schedule more people than you need to talk to. There's usually at least one person who forgets and runs into scheduling conflicts.
- You may need to recruit from an existing user email list, from social networks, from family and friends, or from other interest groups.
- If you're providing compensation of some sort, things like Amazon gift cards, prepaid debit cards, and Starbucks cards can be sent digitally.
- If you're providing some form of compensation or reward in person, you may consider food (free lunch!), coffee/beverages, company swag, or checks ($$) as options.
Game Plan
- If you're doing the usability session in person, you'll need a computer or mobile device to conduct the test on, and you'll need a way to record the screen.
- If you're doing the usability session remotely, you'll need a screensharing program that (ideally) allows you to record the session.
- You'll need a prototype or live product to test.
- Based on the questions you're trying to answer, develop a list of tasks for the participant to complete.
- To recruit participants, create a screener survey that you can post online or send around. Be sure to gather contact info, and follow up with anyone who you'd like to schedule for a session.
- Send a confirmation email to everyone you want to schedule telling them their session time and explaining how they can join the session (if it's a remote session with a screenshare) or where your test will be located (if you're doing it in person).
- Prepare your tasks and any additional questions you want to ask along the way.
- Ideally get at least two people involved to help with the session: one person to moderate and provide the tasks and one person to take notes.
- In a perfect world, the developers and designers who will be making changes to the prototype are watching the sessions (remotely or in person).
- Prepare your software or programs for screensharing and recording.
- Take time after the sessions to debrief and list out high-level thoughts and friction points the participant experienced.
Timing
- With quick rounds of usability testing, you can pull a whole session together in a week if the prototype is ready to go.
- Be sure you know what software you're going to use for recording and/or screensharing before you get started. You may need to test several options.
- Once you have your recruitment survey, allow between a few days to a week to recruit and schedule people.
- During this time you can be writing your tasks.
- Ideally, you can schedule your sessions together in blocks.
- If you expect to spend 30 minutes doing a usability session, leave yourself a window of 45 minute to an hour before the next session starts. You may need this time to reset the equipment or prototype in preparation for the next participant.